Le Roi de Pique

When the owners of Le Roi de Pique hired a savvy interior designer to give their venue a facelift back in 2013, what had been an unremarkable boozer suddenly blossomed into one of the most agreeable bars of the area. The chic pseudo-‘50s interior, replete with blue walls and geometric mirrors, would give the trendier Oberkampf bars a run for their money; luckily for them, Le Roie de Pique is situated among the Marais’s art galleries, comfortably beyond the reach of the hipster crowds.

If it’s vintage appeal you’re looking for, you’re in the right place. A soundtrack of blues, rockabilly and rap (!) caresses your ears as you indulge in one of the bar’s signature cocktails (€8.20-9) – the Tout Atout (gin, triple sec and grapefruit juice) is our favourite. The venue plays host to live music around once a month, and a stylish outdoor terrace caters to the summer crowd. The only disappointment (and it’s a mild one) is the unimaginative food menu, which doesn’t really venture beyond passable tried-and-tested classics: egg mayo (€4.90), sausage terrine (€6.90) and the only slightly more exciting fish & chips (served only on Saturdays for some obscure reason). But we’re nitpicking; Le Roi de Pique is a charming addition to the area, and a massive improvement on its previous incarnation.